Greek Myths; The beginning
In the beginning, there was only Chaos, the gaping emptiness. Then, either all by themselves or out of the formless void, sprang forth three more primordial deities: Gaea (Earth), Tartarus (the Underworld), and Eros (Love). Once Love was there, Gaea and Chaos – two female deities – were able to procreate and shape everything known and unknown in the universe. Chaos gave birth to Erebus (Darkness) and Nyx (Night). Erebus slept with his sister Nyx, and out of this union Aether, the bright upper air, and Hemera, the Day, emerged. Afterward, feared by everyone but her brother, Night fashioned a family of haunting forces all by herself. Among others, her children included the hateful Moros (Fate), the black Ker (Doom), Thanatos (Death), Hypnos (Sleep), Oneiroi (Dreams), Geras (Old Age), Oizus (Pain), Nemesis (Revenge), Eris (Strife), Apate (Deceit), Philotes (Sexual Pleasure), Momos (Blame), and the Hesperides (the Daughters of the Evening). Meanwhile, Gaea gave birth to Uranus, the Starry Sky. Uranus became Gaea's husband, surrounding her from all sides. Together, they produced three sets of children: the three one-eyed Cyclopes, the three Hundred-Handed Hecatoncheires, and the twelve Titans. However Uranus was a horrible husband and an even worse father. He would never let his kids see the light of day. So he kept his kids in Gaea's womb. One day Gaea had enough she made a sith and told her children to attack Uranus but they were all to afraid... Except one Kronos. Gaea and Kronos set up an ambush for Uranus. Gaea had to pretend she wanted more kids and as Uranus got closer Kronos cut off his genitals into the ocean.From the blood that was spilled on the earth due to his castration, emerged the Giants, the Meliae (the Ash Tree Nymphs), and the Erinyes (the Furies). From the sea foam that was produced when his genitals fell into the ocean, arose Aphrodite, the Goddess of Beauty. After that Kronos became the next ruler. He married his sister Rhea, who bore him five children; Hesita, Hera, Demeter, Hades, and Poseidon. Kronos was afraid that like his father his children were going to overpower him so he swallowed them. When Rhea was having a sixth child Zeus she got tired of Kronos eating all her kids. So when Zeus was born she hid him and gave him a rock. She gave Zeus to nymphs to raise him. The child was Zeus. Raised by the nymphs Adrasteia and Ida, and the she-goat Amalthea, he quickly grew into a handsome youth in a cave on the Cretan Mount Ida. When the time came, he left Crete to ask his future wife, the Titaness Metis (Wisdom), for an advice on how to defeat Kronos. She answered by preparing a drink indistinguishable from Kronos’ favorite wine but designed to make him vomit for ages. Zeus disguised himself as the gods’ cupbearer and, after a while, successfully slipped Metis’ drink to Kronos. The plan worked perfectly: Kronos started vomiting and spilled out all of Zeus’ five siblings, but only after throwing up the stone. Called Omphalos, or the Navel, the stone was later set up at Delphi by two eagles Zeus sent to meet at the center of the world. Overwhelmed with gratitude, Rhea’s children – Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon – recognized Zeus as their leader. Then Zeus Chopped Kronos into a thousand pieces and put him in Tartarus.